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Semicolons, colons, and dashes. SEMICOLONS. Use a semicolon between independent clauses that are closely related in thought and are not joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet).
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Use a semicolon between independent clauses that are closely related in thought and are not joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet) • The rain had finally stopped; a few rays of sunshine were pushing their way through the breaks in the clouds. • Owning a dog is a big responsibility; a dog requires training, grooming, and regular exercise. • Do not use a semicolon to join independent clauses unless there is a close relationship between the main ideas of the clauses.
Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb or a transitional expression. The snowfall made travelling difficult;nevertheless, we arrived home safely. Denisa plays baseball well;in fact, she would like to try out for a major-league team.
A semicolon (rather than a comma) may be needed before a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses that contain commas. • Some monarch butterflies migrate all the way from Canada to California, to Florida, or to Mexico; and then, come spring, they head north again. • I wanted to register for biology, volleyball, and conversational Spanish; but only calculus, golf, and intermediate German were available during late registration.
Use a semicolon between items in a series if the items contain commas. • The club’s president has appointed the following people to chair the standing committees: Richard Stokes, planning; Rebecca Hartely, membership; Salvador Berrios, financial; and Ann Jeng, legal. • The collection of short stories includes “The Circuit,”by Francisco Jimenez; “The Iguana Killer,” by Alberto Rios; and “Everybody Knows Tobie,” by Daniel Garza.
Use a colon to mean “note what follows. Use a colon before a list of items, especially after expressions such as as follows and the following. • Prior to 1722, the Iroquois Confederation consisted of five American Indian nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. • My brother is working on a multimedia presentation featuring the following women: Mary Baker Eddy, Clara Barton, Maria Mitchell, Mary Church Terrell, Susan B. Anthony, and Sarah Winnemucca.
Do not use a colon between a verb and its complement(s) or between a preposition and it(s) objects.
Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation. • Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address begins with these famous words: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Use a colon between independent clauses when the second clause explains or restates the idea of the first. • Lois felt that she had done something worthwhile: She had designed and sewn her first quilt. • Thomas Jefferson had many talents: He was a writer, a politician, an architect, and an inventor.
Use a colon in certain conventional situations. • Use a colon between the hour and the minute. • 7:30 P.M. • Use a colon between a title and subtitle. • Superman IV: The Quest for Peace • Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter. • To Whom It May Concern: • Dear Sir or Madam:
Use a dash to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech. • The team’s leading scorer—I can’t remember her name—is also an excellent defensive player. • The real villain turns out to be—but I don’t want to spoil the ending for those of you who have not yet seen the movie.
Use a dash to meannamely, in other words, or that is before an explanation. • Amanda joined the chorus for only one reason—she loves to sing. • Very few people in this class—three, to be exact—have not completed their projects.
